Patient Zero

Chapter Forty-Six

The DMS Warehouse, Baltimore / Tuesday, June 30; 9:20 P.M.

AS HE LED me to the labs, Church said. “Dr. Sanchez has agreed, conditionally, to help us through the current crisis.”

“What are his conditions?”

“He’ll be here as long as you are. Apparently he thinks you need a minder.” He appeared amused. “Major Courtland is bringing him up to speed on everything.”

“Rudy’s not a fighter.”

“We all serve according to our nature, Captain. Besides, your friend may be tougher than you know.”

“I didn’t say he wasn’t tough. I just don’t want to see you put a gun in his hand.”

“Noted.”

We entered a huge loading dock that had been newly enclosed by cinderblock, and the smell of limestone and concrete hung thick in the damp air. There was a row of oversized trailer homes of the kind used as temporary offices on construction sites. As we passed each, Church threw out a single identifying word. Cryptography. Surveillance. Operations. Computers.

We passed one whose door was marked with a TWELVE in black block letters, and Church made no comment about this one. There were four armed guards outside, two facing out, two facing the unit’s only door, and a tripod-mounted.50 stood behind a half-circle of sandbags, its wicked black mouth pointing at the trailer door. I slowed for a moment, frowning, feeling the tension that was screaming in the air, and I felt a chill like an icy hand close around the back of my neck.

“Damn,” I breathed. “You have more of them in there?”

“Among other things, yes,” he said softly. “It’s also our surgical suite, and that’s where our prisoner is. But to answer your question, we have a total of six.”

“Like Javad?”

Church’s face seemed to harden as he said, “The six walkers were all from St. Michael’s. One doctor, three civilians, two DMS agents.”

“My God!”

“This evening I’m having three of them sent to our Brooklyn facility for study. The others will remain here.”

“For study? But you’re talking about your own people.”

“They’re dead, Captain.”

“Church, I-”

“They’re dead.”